My Reflection on these devotions so far. Help me decide what’s next…
For over six months I’ve shared devotions illustrating an evolving understanding and relationship with God. When I reflected on my own spiritual journey, I realized that I began by looking to God in a transactional way - if I am a good person and I pray, God will answer my prayers. Over time, a slow evolution helped me recognize my transactional relationship with God, opened me to God’s call for a more mutual relationship, taught me how to listen to God (not just talk at God), and drew me into a deeper relationship with God. That deeper relationship required me to sacrifice my assumptions and my personal priorities, but I did it willingly because I could tell that God offered something more life giving than what I pursued.
This evolution was something I experienced personally over many years. It is also something written about by mystics and spiritual teachers across millennia. It wasn’t until I began reading some of these ancient and modern authors that I realized my own spiritual experiences were not unique. God has a particular way of working with people. For me, reading the stories of other’s spiritual journeys convinced me that my own experiences were real and worth trusting. Once I was able to trust my experiences, I was able to move forward with God. My hope is that these devotions help you do the same.
Now, looking back at what I’ve written here, I see that these devotions show a broad overview of common stages of spiritual development, but without much detail. I’m thinking about going back and exploring some of the steps along the path in more depth, sharing both my own experiences and the wisdom of the mystics and spiritual leaders across the ages. Some of the steps I could describe are listed below. Please take a look and let me know if this would be helpful or interesting to you and what particular areas you would like me to focus on. They don’t have to go in order and I don’t have to treat them all exhaustively. Write your thoughts in the comments section online or send me an email. Beyond this particular question, I would also appreciate any other thoughts or comments you have about these devotions.
I really look forward to your comments and will use them to guide my writing, so please take a moment to share something. My plan is to begin writing again in October after I’ve had time to consider your feedback, pray and study sources.
Beyond writing devotions, I wonder if any of you would be interested in meeting a few times to discuss these devotions, your spiritual journeys, spiritual practices or any other related topic. I know that my own spiritual journey really began in a group setting where the insights of others fueled my own exploration. I would very much enjoy setting up a Zoom conversation among folks to talk about any of these things. In person conversations can also work depending on where you live. Please let me know if you would like to join other folks like yourself to share our spiritual journeys.
I look forward to hearing from you and continuing to accompanying you on our journey of faith.
In Peace,
Deacon Linda Bobbitt
Potential topics for further exploration:
Recognizing the call to deepen your relationship with God
Responding in wonder and confusion - intentionally opening your hearts and minds, identifying the assumptions that block our hearing
Learning to Listen, Trust and Act
Engaging in spiritual practices - and reflecting upon them - growing from them. (I can also write about the different kinds of spiritual practices and refer to the many books that illustrate specific practices, but I don’t feel called to write a book about how to pray or do the practices themselves. However, I could create a resource list connecting you with such books or instructional videos, etc.)
Surrender: Letting go of assumptions and expected outcomes for our relationship with God
Surrender: Letting go of assumptions and expected outcomes for our own lives and relationships with one another
A New-Old Path: God showing/teaching us new things while relating to us in ancient ways.
Prayer and Contemplation - developing two way conversations with God
Common experiences along the way: consolations and desolations, insights, setbacks, etc.
Living into the new, evolving you: practices of self-refection, other’s reactions to your transformation
Discernment in daily life - how this evolves as your relationship with God evolves
Admitting your faith to yourself and others
Serving others as an extension of God’s will - letting go of outcomes
Describe the nature of the evolving relationship between us and God (Possibly using Ken Wilber’s work on stages of consciousness as well as other’s work on stages or evolution of the spiritual journey)
Union with God: Living as a spiritual person in human skin - the both/and life of abiding
Name any other topic or question you would like to discuss concerning your faith journey, etc.
